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Copper Thieves Targeting DISD Campuses

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Campuses in the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) have been the repeated victims of copper thieves.

The district has suffered thousands of dollars in damage, as a result of the thefts.

“Included in those [thefts] are gonna be some HVAC units,” explained DISD police chief Craig Miller. “And two HVAC units were damaged and that’s $37,000 apiece, so it gets to be very expensive.”

In the month of November alone, copper thieves targeted nine schools.

The school district has released surveillance video from Peeler Elementary School that shows two men removing copper piping from the plumbing system.

Miller said there is a two-prong investigation — trying to find out who is stealing the copper and also who is buying it. “Recently, there was 200 feet of copper that was taken and there’s obviously a market in metal recycling where this product is sold.”

Copper theft isn’t the only problem facing the Dallas ISD. Over the past month, there have been 41 campus break-ins. Thieves are stealing computers, and other equipment.

During the next month or so, the DISD is taking special steps to guard schools. “Each of the Dallas police department investigative units/substations has a copper metal theft [division] and we’re working with them on this,” said Miller. “I mean obviously we’re gonna have a task force that goes on during the holidays.”

Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information on the thefts.

Steve is an Emmy Award winning journalist. He has been recognized nationally for his coverage of Public Education and his reports from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina garnered the "Best News Story" Katie Award from the Press Clu...

Yes! Looks like minority gang bangers (judging from their clothing) stealing from a state that’s funding school for anchor babies! Ha! Dallas gets what it deserves. It cannot learn from the California Lesson.
It will never pass a law like Alabama or Arizona.
I am soo happy with the results in Alabama. Most of the Illegals are gone! The towns are starting to look like the United States again! No more yellow painted buildings and laundry draped on the bushes! Praise Alabama! They got smart!

Actually copper is worth quite a bit of money. Which is the reason why there has been an increase all over the US of people stripping anything and everything down they can find that has a significant amount of copper in it. Its about the money.

Unless they’re throwing the copper away, they’re doing it for the money. How many copper thieves are getting caught? This isn’tthe first articles I’ve read that citires are dealing with copper thieves. It’s a low risk crime, meaning if they can get away with it it’s low risk. Muggers still mug people for afew bucks despite that being illegal, so why not steal copper which can get more money then some guy’s wallet.

Really, if it was just for kicks they would just vandalize the place. Why haul away copper tubes and wires that takes time to collect if not for hte money?

My question is where are all of these School Police Officers and School Security Officers that DISD pays for? Do they only work during the day? Do they work nights and week ends? Sounds to me like the ISD needs to fire some officers.

Well, yeah I assume they work during the day. If the school doesn’t hire night time guards They’re hitting elementary schools, not colleges with students who live on campus. Sure there has been vandals at school but not enough to pay for security at night, at least until stuff like this happens.

Even then how many guards? Are they armed? Can’t have one guy take on 4 copper theives if they’re that many. How much do you pay the guard so he doesn’t start stealing himself.

Basically the US is a third world country at this point. Too many liberals support the mindset of criminals, every crimianl has a reason so we can’t judge them hence low lifes feel more entittled to stealing then before. Plus it’s TX so what are the chances they’re illegals. How many US citizens would think about stealing copper, or know how to take it out?

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN AND WOMEN TO COME TO THE AID OF THERE COUNTRY! HONORABLE AMERICANS VOTE THEM ALL OUT!

The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.

The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince.

The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.

Some people have the vocabulary to sum up things in a way you can understand them. This quote came from the Czech Republic. Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work to do.

I had cages put around my ac units. The units are sealed with special locking nuts that require a particular drill bit to remove–you cannot just go out and buy it. It is sad that we should have to go to this kind of effort to protect our property. We lived in Dallas for 40 years before moving to Plano. I wish we had done it sooner. Dallas is not a nice place to live anymore.

90 mintues video of the theft being performed and no one is watching the cameras?

One person could watch all the schools cameras at once from a central monitoring point if they turn on the motion detection.

When one camera detects motion an alert is sounded and the monitor goes to full screen awaking the security personnel. Oh your could get some simulcast money and hire someone that stays awake or isnt in on it.

Has nothing to do with all the bs posts here about government, just simply mismanagement of technical resources paid for I am sure by taxpayers

The real culprit is this administration that makes these type of crimes necessary. Necessary to buy the things they normally would buy if they had a job. It could be drugs too. I’m not saying it isn’t but the incubator is ripe because of policy. There hasn’t been enough jobs and government creates no jobs. Private sector has been under siege for over three years. 2012 should see the end of this class warfare president. If it doesn’t there will be more of this stealing to the point that no one is safe. The end of times looks to be very real and very possible. Non believers will take quite a hit.

There should be a special place in hell or at least a new law establishing an “Infrastructure Crime” like a Hate Crime with additional (manditory) jail sentences. I also like the idea of putting them in Stocks on display in the town square and allowing people to throw water balloons at them. It takes a real creep to do so much damage for so little money.

The mighty Boa has to laugh…. So often, someone will post “They’d never do that HERE in TEXAS!”,,, welcome to the real world. These savages are out of control. The mighty Boa told you, the ONLY solution is to eradicate the ghettos and the savages that inhabit them.

And the mighty Boa also warned you that when O’Bozo wants them, he’ll take all the guns.

The mighty Boa WARNED you that O’Bozo needs to be removed immediately. The mighty Boa also warned you that only God knows what else he will pull between now and next year.

Then he also warned you why the occupiers need to be confronted by the people and disbanded. Many claiming to be “conservative” called such testimony “shameful”……

Well here’s to hoping those same pu$$ies now enjoy rampant disease coming to a neighborhood near them and here’s to hoping their relatives contract it. AND the violence they’ll also be bringing with them…..

And by the way, enjoy the dictatorship.

The public doesn’t have the spine to even take on the occupy bums. You actually think they’ll suddenly find spines to stand up to O’Bozo and the military?

You were told that this imparting of wisdom would come to an end and the time has come. Reap what you have sown. So it is said, so it is written.

You want to find who is stealing it, go watch the metal recyclers on I30 and some of the other places and you will find you little brown thieves. There is a underground support system for low life’s and thugs. They steal your metal and support their lives with no real job.